Page 31 of Coldhearted King

I turn to Alex. “Do you mind if we stop at Paul’s? Just for a minute?”

She studies me with her dark eyes, then nods. “Sure.”

I give the driver the new address, then slump back in my seat. I’m sure Cole is just full of shit. Paul had sounded genuinely tired when he called from his office and told me he wouldn’t be coming tonight. Surely he wouldn’t cheat on me. Not after just getting back together.

My nerves are shot by the time we pull up outside Paul’s building. After assuring Alex I’ll only be a couple of minutes, I climb out of the car and use the key he’d given me to enter instead of ringing the buzzer.

I run up the single flight of stairs, my pulse pounding in my ears. I don’t know how I’ll explain myself when I barge in on him unannounced. In fact, considering how late it is, he’s probably already asleep. I reassure myself with that thought as I quietly turn the key in the lock and swing the door open.

The lights are on in the living room, but there’s no one there. I tiptoe through the room, and my heart stalls at the sight of two wineglasses sitting on the table.

A pit forms in my stomach. Already knowing what I’ll see, but unable to stop myself, I make my way to the bedroom. The sounds emanating from the slightly ajar door have my chest constricting. I want to cry. I want to run. I want to scream at him. But first I need to know who he’s with.

Breathing deeply to hold back the tears, I edge the door open.

They’re facing away from me on the bed, naked Philippa on her hands and knees and Paul behind her, hips slapping rhythmically against her ass. She’s moaning and gasping like his dick is the best thing she’s ever had inside her. All I can think is that she’s obviously never had Cole’s dick in her.

That thought is enough to push back the tears that sting my eyes. I stiffen my spine, resisting the urge to throw my keys at the back of Paul’s head. I won’t waste any more of my time and energy on him, and I definitely won’t give Philippa the satisfaction of making a scene while she sits there and watches with a smug smile on her face. As far as I’m concerned, the two of them are welcome to each other.

I return to the living room. Looking around, I spot his white-marble-topped coffee table. The one where the two wineglasses sit. There’s also a small clutch tucked into the corner of the couch. I pick it up, rummage around, and find what I’m looking for—a tube of lipstick. I uncap it and scrawl a big, red Fuck You over the table, which gives me more satisfaction than I expect. Then I take his apartment key off my chain, drop it between the two wineglasses, grab my nice leather jacket that I’d left here last time I stayed the night, and walk out.

I’m not quiet when I close the front door behind me. Even if he hears it, I’ll be gone by the time he figures out what’s happened. It’s only when I hit the foyer that my hands begin to shake.

I run back to the car and slide in next to Alex, trying to steady my racing pulse.

“What’s wrong?” she asks, automatically putting her arms around me as the driver shifts the car into gear and pulls away from the curb.

“Paul was there with Philippa. H-He was screwing her.” Hurt starts to break through my veneer of anger.

“That fucking asshole,” Alex seethes, voice dripping venom. “Just let me go back there and rip his balls from his body.”

I let out a wobbly laugh. “He’s not worth it. He’s a piece of shit. I just can’t believe I didn’t see it. I even gave him a second chance. I feel like such a fool.”

She brushes a few strands of hair away from my cheek. “You trusted him.”

I nod, and she rubs her hand up and down my back. “What did you say? What did he say?”

“They didn’t see me. He was fucking her doggy style with his back to me.” Bile rises into my throat at the thought of the nights I’ve slept in that bed. How many times has he screwed her there?

“So he doesn’t know you know?”

“I left a pretty clear message.”

I tell her what I did, and she shakes her head and laughs. “You’ve got more restraint than me. I would have thrown something at the back of his head.”

“Believe me, I considered it.” A new emotion joins the anger and hurt. Humiliation. Cole had known. Or at least strongly suspected. Which means he’s seen things I haven’t. How many other people know? The whole team? Am I the laughingstock of the office?

The car drops us off and I march for the door. I fumble while trying to get the key in the lock, so Alex gently takes it from me and lets us in.

I drop my purse on the table. “I’m going to take a shower.”

“I’m sorry, Dee. I really am.” Alex gives me a long hug.

I let out a ragged breath. “You never liked him.”

“Because I didn’t think he was good enough for you,” she says, pushing my hair away from my face.

I nod, hating that tears continue to burn the backs of my eyes every time I think back to what I saw. Also hating that my mind keeps going to Cole and the fact that he knew. That he practically spelled it out for me, and I told him he didn’t know what he was talking about.

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